Apparatus for cutting driven metal piling

ABSTRACT

A graduated vertical pipe for holding and accurately positioning a cutting torch, said pipe being slidably mounted in a top centering ring that is mountable in rotation on the top of the piling to be cut, the bottom of said graduated pipe suspending a removable bottom centering guide, and the whole being rotatable 360*.

United States Patent lrvin L. LeBlanc 6215 S. Laverne St., New Orleans,La. 70126 July 19, 1968 Mar. 30, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed PatentedAPPARATUS FOR CUTTING DRIVEN METAL PlLlNG 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 266/23, 148/96 Int. Cl t. 823k 7/04 Field of Search 266/23 (0)(N); 148/96; 33/21 (A) (C); 83/184, 178,187, 54; 82/82 References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,242 6/1920 Reynolds Primary Examiner-FrankT. Yost Attorney-Lake and Pugh ABSTRACT: A graduated vertical pipe forholding and accurately positioning a cutting torch, said pipe beingslidably mounted in a top centering ring that is mountable in rotationon the top of the piling to be cut, the bottom of said graduated pipesuspending a removable bottom centering guide, and the whole beingrotatable 360.

Patented Mm-.1130, 1971 2 Sheets-Shet 1 l. INVENTOR IRVIN L. L

BY i/ FIG.

EBL )IC ATTORNEY Patented March 30, 1971 I 3,572,668

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IRVIN' L. LEBLAIYIIC AT TORNEY/ APPARATUS FORCUTTING DRIVEN METAL PILING The invention generally relates to theapparatus for cutting the surplus tops of metal shell pilings that havebeen driven into the ground, and more particularly to cutting thepilings from the inside at points below ground level at the buildingfoundation level.

It is general practice in the art to drive in place piling on the sitebefore excavating the lot down to the level of the prospectivefoundation. The excavating of the building site down to the desiredfoundation level after the pilings have been driven is laborious andcostly, but no method has as yet been invented for cutting these pilingsat the desired foundation level and the empty shell pilings tips areleft standing as high as 13 to 30 feet above foundation level and aroundwhich the excavating must proceed.

It is an object of the invention to provide the apparatus for cuttingoff the driven metal shell piling at the foundation level or a desiredheight after it has been driven to ground level or above in order toremove the excess piling so that excavation of the foundation canproceed over the cut piling ends rather than around the excess pilingtips.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the detailed description and claims and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is the side elevation of the invention in place in the upper endof a shell piling;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the upper centering ring and tumtable;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bottom centering ring;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the top torch clamp; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the bottom torch clamp.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the invention comprises a graduated pipe 1having at each end longitudinally adjustable pipe sleeves 2 and 2a. Arotatable centering ring and turntable 3 of dimensions suitable tocooperate with the end of the driven pile 8 comprises a circularstructure having reinforcing radial arms that are normal and form at thecenter and define a center hole. Said hole is large enough to slidablyreceive the graduated pipe I but too small to allow the passage of theupper sleeve 2, vertically adjustable on pipe 1. Vertically movablesupporting clamps 4 and 6 are secured intermediate the ends of the pipefor holding a cutting torch 5 at cutting distance from the pilingintermediate theends of the pipe I. The clamps 4 and 6 are screwed bythumb screws so that the burning end of the torch 5 is 6 inches from thebottom sleeve which is set flush with the end of the pipe. A platformand reinforcing bracket is fastened to the pipe to support the weight ofthe torch 5. A bottom guide plate 7 defining the center hole forengaging the lower end of the pipe I is supported by a bottom pipesleeve 2a screwed on the end of the pipe I. The upper clamp 4 for thetorch carries a pulley and control line which leads up to a handle 10via a pulley on sleeve 2, for controlling the oxygen. Oxygen andacetylene lines II are fed down through one of the interstices of theradial arms of the rotatable centering ring 2 to supply the cuttingtorch 5.

An upwardly extending flange 13 on the centering ring and turntable 3supports the spring biased handle 10 to the end of which the oxygencontrol line is secured. Flange I3 is also vertically slotted to receivetherein a combination setscrew and rotating handle 9 for, respectively,adjustably fixing said pipe sleeve 2 to pipe 1 and for rotating theentire apparatus including the clamp attached torched in the piling 8supported on the upper end thereof.

In operation the invention generally is used under one of twoconditions. In the first condition, the piling is out below the waterlevel of the building site, the rotatable centering ring 3 is set at thedesired height from the bottom of the rod with a setscrew in the pipesleeve. The cutting torch 5 is secured by the two clamps 4 and 6 to thegraduated pipe 1 so that the cutting torch 5 is precisely 6 inches fromthe bottom pipe sleeve and is rotatable with the pipe 1. The pile 8 isfilled with cement up to within 6 inches of the desired cutoff point.After the pile is filled to the 6-inch level, the torch 5 is set for thecutoff distance as indicated by the sleeve 2 on the graduated pipe 1 byscrewing the combination setscrew and rotating handle 9 into sleeve 2 toengage pipe I. The acetylene is turned on and lit, then the apparatus isinserted into the end of the pile with the turntable centering ring 3resting on and rotatably engaging the exposed end of the piling 8 andwith the combination setscrew and rotating handle 9 engaging in the slotof flange 13. The oxygen line is activated by handle 10 and the controlline to produce the cutting flame. The turntable and centering ring, thepipe 1 and the torch 5 fixed to said pipe 1, is manually rotated 360 bythe combination setscrew and rotating handle 9 engaged in the slot offlange I3 and also fixed to pipe l'to cut the piling 8 at the desiredheight within a tolerance of plus or minus 541 inch. The unwantedportion of the metal pile can then be extracted. The last 6 inches ofthe pipe is filled when the site is excavated down to its foundationlevel.

When the cutoff point is above the water level at the site, the pile 8can be cut precisely at that point and before the concrete filling ispoured. After the pile 8 is filled, the unwanted portion of the pile canbe extracted before the concrete sets. If the pile was accidentallyoverpoured, the cement breaks off easily at the proper elevation.

Although the apparatus and method of the invention has been describedwith a certain amount of particularity, it should be understood thatthis is purely by way of example and that numerous changes can be madein the arrangement of parts without parting from the spirit of theinvention as is claimed hereinafter.

Iclaim:

1. Improved apparatus for holding and accurately positioning a metalcutting means in an approximately vertical driven metal pile for cuttingsaid pile below the outside surface in which the pile is driven, saidapparatus comprising in combination: a turntable and centering ringdefining a center hole and having peripheral means extending downwardlyfor rotatably engaging the exposed end of said driven pile, and havingan upwardly extending flange defining a vertical slot; a verticallygraduated pipe or rod adapted to slidably engage in the hole defined insaid turntable and centering ring; a pipe sleeve adapted to slidablyengage over said graduated pipe and above said turntable and centeringring but not to fit through the hole defined in it, said pipe sleevebeing transversely tapped through a side; a combination tap screw androtating handle having a threaded end adapted to engage in thetransverse tap of said pipe sleeve and fixes it and fixes it and thesleeve to the pipe which depends from the turntable and centering ringthe desired distance from the exposed end of the pile, and said tapscrew and handle being adapted to engage in the vertical slot in theupward flange of the turntable and centering ring for fixing it to thepipe sleeve; means for holding said cutting means radially directed andfixed to rotate with the graduated pipe for cutting from inside of saidpile; a centering ring fixed to the lower end of the graduated pipe andadapted to snugly and rotatably fit within said pile for centering thegraduated pipe in cooperation with the turntable and centering ring; anda remote control means for controlling the application and cuttingprogress of said cutting means; whereby when said combination tap screwand rotating handle fixes the pipe sleeve to the graduated pipe todefine the desired cutting distance, and fixes the sleeve to theturntable and centering ring rotatably engaged on the exposed end of thepile, and the rotating handle and the remote control means aresimultaneously actuated, the piling is cut from the inside at thedesired distance from the top of the piling.

2. Improved apparatus as described in claim I wherein said metal cuttingmeans is an oxyacetylene cutting torch and connecting lines to a supplyof oxygen and acetylene, and said remote control means comprises aspring biased handle mounted on said upwardly extending flange of theturntable and centering ring and a control line connecting said handlewith the oxygen control on said cutting torch, whereby when saidacetylene is manually lit outside of the pile, the oxygen is remotelycontrolled to ignite and form the cutting flame inside the pile.

3. Improved apparatus as described in claim I wherein said peripheralmeans comprises downwardly extending concentric flanges radially spacedapart to receive therebetween the exposed end of said piling.

1. Improved apparatus for holding and accurately positioning a metalcutting means in an approximately vertical driven metal pile for cuttingsaid pile below the outside surface in which the pile is driven, saidapparatus comprising in combination: a turntable and centering ringdefining a center hole and having peripheral means extending downwardlyfor rotatably engaging the exposed end of said driven pile, and havingan upwardly extending flange defining a vertical slot; a verticallygraduated pipe or rod adapted to slidably engage in the hole defined insaid turntable and centering ring; a pipe sleeve adapted to slidablyengage over said graduated pipe and above said turntable and centeringring but not to fit through the hole defined in it, said pipe sleevebeing transversely tapped through a side; a combination tap screw androtating handle having a threaded end adapted to engage in thetransverse tap of said pipe sleeve and fixes it and fixes it and thesleeve to the pipe which depends from the turntable and centering ringthe desired distance from the exposed end of the pile, and said tapscrew and handle being adapted to engage in the vertical slot in theupward flange of the turntable and centering ring for fixing it to thepipe sleeve; means for holding said cutting means radially directed andfixed to rotAte with the graduated pipe for cutting from inside of saidpile; a centering ring fixed to the lower end of the graduated pipe andadapted to snugly and rotatably fit within said pile for centering thegraduated pipe in cooperation with the turntable and centering ring; anda remote control means for controlling the application and cuttingprogress of said cutting means; whereby when said combination tap screwand rotating handle fixes the pipe sleeve to the graduated pipe todefine the desired cutting distance, and fixes the sleeve to theturntable and centering ring rotatably engaged on the exposed end of thepile, and the rotating handle and the remote control means aresimultaneously actuated, the piling is cut from the inside at thedesired distance from the top of the piling.
 2. Improved apparatus asdescribed in claim 1 wherein said metal cutting means is an oxyacetylenecutting torch and connecting lines to a supply of oxygen and acetylene,and said remote control means comprises a spring biased handle mountedon said upwardly extending flange of the turntable and centering ringand a control line connecting said handle with the oxygen control onsaid cutting torch, whereby when said acetylene is manually lit outsideof the pile, the oxygen is remotely controlled to ignite and form thecutting flame inside the pile.
 3. Improved apparatus as described inclaim 1 wherein said peripheral means comprises downwardly extendingconcentric flanges radially spaced apart to receive therebetween theexposed end of said piling.